just to clarify my ramblings!

Sorry if I didn't explain very well, LOL. No I do not have the munchkins yet, but foster mom has started using me as a babysitter so I can get quality time early. Isn't that nice?! :) They
stayed for about 4 days and will stay the night again next week. :) T

adopting older ADD/drug affected children

For people who have adopted older children, if you have any advice- please share, as you will understand my problem here. For those of you raising babies from birth, try to imagine the differences!
This pic of basket full of kittens who are escaping before I could snap the pic, gives a small idea of what it is like to try and change a diaper of a very fast, strong, mobile toddler with ADD issues and wearing (painful) hard braces on his feet. I didn't get to practice while he was small and non-mobile, but am jumping in at this late date while trying to not get poop all over the floor, our clothes or get kicked with a foot brace. So you can imagine how unappreciative I am of the laughter flowing from my near hysterical mom and sister as they roll on the floor. They find it funnier the more problems I have like when the wiggle worm is pushing his feet so he scoots himself away from me taking open poopy diaper with him and I have to keep pulling him back, while trying to make a face that shows I do not think this is a new fun game to play, and his big sis comes in to ask me questions and try to get attention. Behind her comes little niece who only having female cousins has never seen little boy privates before and wants to know if that is his "flower". ( Her Great Gma told her that name and it stuck) I finally get my mom and sister to help me by frowning at them and using a stern voice while telling them, that yes, I need to practice, but throwing me in the deep end with all three sharks the very first time, is probably not the nicest way for me to get experience. They finally helped by distracting baby and sending the girls off to play for a while til we finished with the poop monster. hahaha they think they are sooo funny.
This pic is my sister walking & holding her daughter and step daughter- she works out. She also has a step son and has had lots of practice with 3 kids at once. My mom also has 3 kids. I am trying to adopt 2 kids who both have ADD and the older one has attachment problems. I am worried about RAD ( Reactive Attachment Disorder) being an issue with her. To add to the fun is the younger ones SI issues so I need to keep an eye out for things he might try to eat, like crayons. He also has food allergies and they both have a long list of doctors and specialists. They were exposed to a wide variety of drugs in utero ( meth, crack, booze, heroin, pot, ...) and are at risk for a variety of health issues. I just found out that they will have caseworkers from DHS, but also from at least one other agency, maybe more, that also assigns them caseworkers, so that they will have 2-6 caseworkers at any given time. I did not get 9 months to prepare for birth and find out about problems, I did not get time with one before the other was born, I did not rack up all the doctors one at a time,.... no I am walking into a maze of caseworkers, and specialists, and problems, and health issues, and emotional issues and reg children's needs -all at once and am a little shell shocked. I don't like coming in late to a test and feeling unprepared so I am playing catch up and soaking up advice while I wait for the dust settles- even from the two experienced laughing hyenas. Whom I had to explain all this to, while asking for help. They think they're so funny, ....I know Mom, I know, bring the plastic bag and distracting toys with me before I start changing him. Where are the wipes?
Did I mention he enjoys throwing dinner on the floor to tell me he is full? He also pulls those suction cup plates off the table, although it does slow him down. - so much for that idea! AND- who made sippy cups that leak when you turn them upside down? What kind of mean joke is that?
I can't wait til they get to visit again! :)

How long after the experiation date can you still use injectible meds? I heard 6 months, is that true?

Fun, fire and feet

For our Halloween family get together, we all went to my aunt and uncles farm where we had dinner, a campfire and played on the fourwheeler and go cart! Too fun! This first pic is my view from back of four wheeler with my mom and neice riding ahead of me. second pic is of the campfire where some ppl ate marshmellows- Yuck! ( vegetarian soapbox alert*** Did you know they have bone/hooves in them? yes that is what makes gelatin, a common ingredient in food, pills etc. {{{shudder}}}) Anyhoo, I had my first home visit for foster care certification to have the adoption. I am also on week 4 next week, of
the 10 classes. Can you beleive they cancelled for Thanksgiving? Jeez, I guess they have their own lives, ok, ok. So classes are over Jan 10th, yippee! This is a pic of the babies foot while he is wearing his braces. They are called Sure Step Dynamic Stabilizing System. ( www.surestep.net) They are for young children and help give proper position, support and balance. He has them because of his Sensory Integration Disorder (SI) did not let him feel his feet properly. Apparently he didn't have a good sense of where his feet were or what they were doing. With the braces providing compression, there is more sensory information sent to his brain so he can tell where they are and use them. After getting his braces, he was able to finally walk. (And now runs around like a reg fast toddler!) They are used to treat a variety of conditions like walking on ankles, ect. They are cut so toes and ball of foot can still be used and feel the floor allowing for better pushing, jumping, walking and so on.
People with neuropathy from diabetes or whatever, can explain about loss of sensory info telling you where your feet are at and what they are doing. That is why they might watch their feet while going down stairs or take shoes off to drive, because if you can't feel the gas/brake pedals or don't know where the next step is, accidents can happen! Imagine stepping on both gas and brake at the same time by accident or sliding from one to the other without realizing it- not good. I have mild nueropathy and can empathize with the little one in that way. I don't have any fancy foot braces though, LOL.

I hope everyone is doing well! My CNA classes are finally over so I hope to have a bit more time to check back in with everyone now. :) Talk to you soon!